Ontario Agrologists Have Pollinator Health Policy Concerns

There are over 5 million acres of corn and soybeans planted in Ontario every year.

The provincial government’s pollinator health proposal would require all of those acres to be assessed to determine which need neonic treatment and which ones don’t.

The Ontario Institute of Agrologists warns the infrastructure to handle that widespread assessment just doesn’t exist.

And the Institute warns getting it in place would come at a high cost.

President Drew Orosz says that’s one of a number of concerns his members have about the provincial government proposal.

He says the proposal seems to ignore the steps already being taken by the industry to reduce the threat to bees from neonics.

The Institute suggests domestic hive bee management factors and the increased practice of moving honey bees from Ontario across provincial borders to pollinate distant crops could also be playing a role in the problem.

Orosz feels there is a lot of uncertainty reltaed to the information on which the proposed provincial regulatory approach is based.

The Ontario Institute of Agrologists represents about 500 Professional and Technical Agrologists across the province.